Chi-Ha
The Type 97 Chi-Ha (九七式中戦車 チハ) is Japan's initial medium tank, and unfortunately it is very fragile and has a feeble 57mm gun - barely enough to engage other early light and medium tanks. Although it has decent armament, the Chi-Ha armor, in sizable groups, can be an effective defense able to be put together fairly quickly against enemy ground forces. It also has a fairly good speed. History With the Type 89 Chi-Ro fast becoming obsolete in the late 1930s, the Imperial Japanese Army began a program to develop a replacement tank for infantry support. Experience of the invasion of Manchuria determined that the Type 89 was too slow to keep up with motorized infantry. The new medium tank was intended to be a scaled-up four-man version of the Type 95 Ha-Go light tank, although with a two-man turret, thicker armor, and more power to maintain performance. The Tokyo factory of Mitsubishi completed a prototype designated Chi-Ha. The second prototype was completed in June 1937. Although the requirement was for a 47mm cannon, it retained the same short-barreled 57 mm cannon as the Type 89B tank. However, at the time, the Imperial Army was more interested in the lighter Chi-Ni prototype proposed by Osaka Army Arsenal, because it was less expensive and had the same 57mm gun. The Second Sino-Japanese War broke out on 7 July 1937. Peacetime budgetary limitations were removed, and the more expensive Mitsubishi Chi-Ha model was accepted as a new Type 97 medium tank. After the Second World War China, Indonesia and South Korea each got a number of these tanks. Strategies and Tactics *Although a medium tank, it is more of an ultra-light tank in the face of enemy armor. It should be confined to waging war against infantry or light tanks. *The Chi-Ha should almost always travel in packs, as it is very fragile and can be knocked out easily. *in 1939 game mode packs of these tanks can steamroll over nations tanks such as Italy and Germany. only really being matched by France's B1 Bis, S35, Russia's KV-1, and the United States' M3 Lee. *Using a force of 10 of these in combination with a larger force of 30 Ha-Go light tanks bring used as meat shields, can easly charge down slow firing AT like the Flak 88. Pros & Cons +This tank gets the honour of being the medium tank of 1939 rather than the Type 89. * The Type 89 is not in the game although it should be produced from the barracks as a support unit. +It's the 2nd fastest medium tank in 1939, the fastest being the M13/40. * which didn't exist in 1939 beyound prototype stage or sample production. +The tank is cheap and the armor is ballanced. +/-It doesn't have the firepower of the Lee or S35 but it beats the M13/40. * the firepower seems to be a mixture of the 47mm version for knocking out tanks and the 57mm for support. Weapons See also * * Lee * Panzer IV * Cruiser A13 * S35 * Carro M13 Category:Medium tanks Category:Armor base